The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood #13) - J. R. Ward Page 0,82

cleared his throat and put the phone aside. “Are you hungry?”

“Not really.”

“Thirsty?”

“No.”

He fidgeted with the sheets. The duvet. “Warm enough?”

Frowning, she pushed herself upright and sat back against the pillows. Looking over at him, she smiled. “I’m glad I came up here. To talk to you and … do those other things.”

“You are?” His eyes, those beautiful almond-shaped eyes, swung back to her. “Really? I feel like I was too hard on you when we…”

She smiled even wider. “I really, really lost my virginity now.”

He blushed. Actually blushed, a red stain hitting his high cheekbones. “I worried I’d hurt you.”

“Not at all. When can we do it again—”

Trez’s coughing fit was sudden and loud, and she had to pound him on the back before he started breathing right again.

“You okay?” she said, still smiling.

“Ah, yeah. You just have a way of surprising me.”

For a split second, she remembered him coming to her in the Sanctuary. Even though she had been in an Arrest at the time, she had known the instant he had arrived. It had been a miracle. But how had he known?

“How did you find me? Up in the Sanctuary?”

He shook his head slowly. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“The Scribe Virgin. I was at my club and dealing with some stuff—Rhage and V were with me. All of a sudden this … figure appeared … black robes, light under the hem, voice that I heard inside here”—he tapped his head—“rather than through my ears. Next thing I know? I’m … well, anyway. I was with you.”

Now she was the one fiddling with things. “I’m really sorry.”

“About what?”

“About you seeing me like that. About … all of this.”

“Fucking hell—like I said before, as if you’d volunteer to be sick?”

“I know, but still. I wish…” She tried to tilt her head back so she could look at the ceiling, but her neck was too painful.

“You’re hurting.”

“It’s nothing unusual. This is how I always feel after I … well, anyhow.”

Guess two could play at the avoidance game.

“This is so unnatural,” she blurted.

“What is?”

She had to turn her torso so that she could look at him properly. And absently, she measured how good his dark skin looked against the white sheets, the contrast making both seem to glow.

Selena tried to find the words. “I feel like there’s this huge … I don’t know, divide or something … between us. It makes no sense. I mean, you’re right here beside me—but there are words that we’re tripping over, subjects we don’t want to talk about. It’s just … well, it sucks. Because right now? This is the good part. I mean, check me out.”

She lifted her free hand and splayed her fingers wide; then wiggled them.

“Mobile and awake is so much better than where I was, right?” When he simply stared at her, she felt like a fool. “I’m sorry, I guess that sounds weird—”

Trez leaned in and kissed her quiet, his lips lingering. “No.” He eased back. “It’s … I know what you mean. It’s not crazy, and you’re right. Now is the good part—”

“You are so hot.”

Trez let out another cough. “Damn, female. What are you like.”

“I told you last night—or, jeez, what time is it? Anyway, I told you before, I’m all about honesty now.”

His lids dropped low. “Being straight up suits me just fine. So lemme ask you, if I were to pick you up and carry you into the shower, would you—”

“Get on my knees again under the hot spray and see if you taste as good as I remember?”

The sound that came out of him was not a cough. But it wasn’t a coherent statement, either. It was part growl, part groan, with a little moan thrown in for good measure, like he was getting ready to beg …

It was pretty much the sexiest thing she had ever heard.

“Is that a yes?” she drawled.

He kissed her again, harder this time. Longer, too. Then he pegged her with eyes that were boiling. “Shit, I’m dying over here—”

As Trez stopped himself again, she got thrown by that word herself. When it came to the two of them, one was, in fact, dying. It was her, not him, though.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I won’t say that ever again.”

“It’s all right.” She forced herself to smile. “Let’s wash our cares away—”

“I’m going to find a cure for this,” he said gravely. “I’m not going to let you lose the fight, Selena. I will literally move heaven and